Browse Forums Lighting + Lighting Design Re: Home Automation 4Apr 10, 2019 10:05 pm Hue is extremely expensive and is not suitable for typical LED fixings. But works well when retrofitted to replace some individual halogen lights (e.g. try the effect created by Hue bulb over your bath tub). Wi-Fi-enabled light switch is so much better way to control scenes comprised of multiple LEDs. Re: Home Automation 5Apr 10, 2019 10:39 pm alexp79 Hue is extremely expensive and is not suitable for typical LED fixings. But works well when retrofitted to replace some individual halogen lights (e.g. try the effect created by Hue bulb over your bath tub). Wi-Fi-enabled light switch is so much better way to control scenes comprised of multiple LEDs. I used hue in a new build - and yes it is expensive, but it works flawlessly, including with all three major voice assistants. Re: Home Automation 6Apr 10, 2019 10:57 pm I don’t want to use wifi devices, there’s a lag in dimming the lights and they normally don’t dim smoothly. Even Control4’s own zigbee wireless dimmers start playing up when you use too many of them, not to mention the maintenance of 75 wireless dimmer pucks in the ceilings. I’m going for Philips Dynalite integrated with Control4. Everything wired properly to ensure high security and redundancy, only need to convince the builder to wire it the way I want it. Will probably add a few HUE’s to the project as well, they integrate easily with C4. Re: Home Automation 7Apr 11, 2019 3:00 am Generally you use one Wi-Fi dimming light switch with controller and than all the dimming LEDs connected to it. The dimmer itself is physical, not wireless. Wireless is only IFTTT interface between your phone/iPad/tablet and the dimming switch. With properly configured 802.11n or better network latency the will be only around 1-2 ms - you won't be able to notice it. Modern systems are also protected pretty well and if your Wi-Fi network gets hacked, rest assured that hackers will be able to retrieve much more interesting and valuable information rather than just protocols to play with your dimmers. Security and redundancy stories are sold pretty well by the sellers of wired systems as they generally cost much money and their market share is shrinking. Just my 2 cents. Home Automation 8Apr 11, 2019 6:23 am Magnus I don’t want to use wifi devices, there’s a lag in dimming the lights and they normally don’t dim smoothly. I can say categorically that is not my experience. When I tell Alexa or Siri to turn on or off or dim my Hue lights, they do in a matter of milliseconds after the command is issued. I've attached a short video to demonstrate - I hope it works. It doesn’t seem to matter if I am doing two lights (as in the video) or every light in the house. https://1drv.ms/v/s!ApnSNHBiSC71gaV66WGf-ULbC3fKfA Re: Home Automation 9Apr 11, 2019 6:38 am alexp79 Generally you use one Wi-Fi dimming light switch with controller and than all the dimming LEDs connected to it. The dimmer itself is physical, not wireless. Wireless is only IFTTT interface between your phone/iPad/tablet and the dimming switch. With properly configured 802.11n or better network latency the will be only around 1-2 ms - you won't be able to notice it. Modern systems are also protected pretty well and if your Wi-Fi network gets hacked, rest assured that hackers will be able to retrieve much more interesting and valuable information rather than just protocols to play with your dimmers. Security and redundancy stories are sold pretty well by the sellers of wired systems as they generally cost much money and their market share is shrinking. Just my 2 cents. I tend to disagree here, I’ve worked with Control4 and other automation platforms in Europe for many years and every new build in Europe is smart wired. Houses as well as apartments, it’s the new standard. KNX for example is gaining a lot of ground over there and no one would ever rely on wireless unless it’s a retrofit. Faster and a lot more reliable. It’s not a price thing as it is very cheap to wire a house. Re: Home Automation 10Apr 11, 2019 12:58 pm I wouldn't be calling Europe as a cutting edge in smart home automation. Cutting edge those days is certainly China, some other APAC countries (S'pore, HK, Japan, Korea) and to some extent Western US/California. None of the above can even closely compete on costs by replacing 10 of your standard $2 switches/dimmers with 10x $20 Wi-Fi enabled switches and turning your lights into complete automated system with the configuration flexibility none of the above system will ever be able to offer and all of that for less than $200. Same applies to socket outlets, various sensors etc. Control4 should be really worried and counting their last months on the market. Re: Home Automation 11Apr 28, 2019 9:27 pm alexp79 I wouldn't be calling Europe as a cutting edge in smart home automation. Cutting edge those days is certainly China, some other APAC countries (S'pore, HK, Japan, Korea) and to some extent Western US/California. None of the above can even closely compete on costs by replacing 10 of your standard $2 switches/dimmers with 10x $20 Wi-Fi enabled switches and turning your lights into complete automated system with the configuration flexibility none of the above system will ever be able to offer and all of that for less than $200. Same applies to socket outlets, various sensors etc. Control4 should be really worried and counting their last months on the market. Guess it all depends on your standards. Control4 is a premium platform and the only comparable would be Crestron. I’m spending $50K on lighting alone, then at least double on audio/visual so I’m not really worried about $2 dimmers. Quality and realiability is what I’m after and I’m certainly not putting any no-name china crap in my house Re: Home Automation 12Apr 29, 2019 3:34 am Good for you, Magnus, that you have extra $150K to throw out on your lights/audio/visual while building a project home from one of the cheapest builders in the country. I am planning to spend less than 1/10 of your amount on my lights/audio/visuals, but, arguably, will be still getting much more functional, robust and configurable system. Yes, may be built from "no-name china crap" components (which are generally built from the same set of components produced by the world leading IC manufacturers and use software APIs written by Google or Apple), although emerging "no-name chinese crap" brands like Xaomi can probably afford to buyout the likes of Control4 and Creston with their pocket money. And yes, today's "premium" can easily become tomorrow's "relic", we have seen happening this many many times already. Just my 2 cents. Re: Home Automation 13Apr 29, 2019 7:57 am alexp79 Good for you, Magnus, that you have extra $150K to throw out on your lights/audio/visual while building a project home from one of the cheapest builders in the country. I am planning to spend less than 1/10 of your amount on my lights/audio/visuals, but, arguably, will be still getting much more functional, robust and configurable system. Yes, may be built from "no-name china crap" components (which are generally built from the same set of components produced by the world leading IC manufacturers and use software APIs written by Google or Apple), although emerging "no-name chinese crap" brands like Xaomi can probably afford to buyout the likes of Control4 and Creston with their pocket money. And yes, today's "premium" can easily become tomorrow's "relic", we have seen happening this many many times already. Just my 2 cents. Well you get what you pay for, if you think you can achieve the same quality and looks with cheap china junk then by all means go for it. I just wouldn’t do it, it’s embarrassing. Good luck with your build anyways. Re: Home Automation 14Apr 29, 2019 8:56 am Magnus I’m spending $50K on lighting alone, then at least double on audio/visual Sorry, but this I just do not understand. Technology depreciates and is superseded so quickly, that I think it would be better value for money to put funds into quality bricks and mortar, and attach to that a modular lighting and AV system that can be easily swapped out as products improve and drop in price. Re: Home Automation 15Apr 29, 2019 12:27 pm Agree here, but, unfortunately, this is way it works. People will be rather spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on 'premium' lights/audio/video and good looking tiles and then complaining why they houses are falling apart in 10-15 years time (if they are have not moved out from those houses by then). Re: Home Automation 16Apr 29, 2019 1:12 pm My Grandad really liked those switches that were on the ceiling with a cord dangling down. Thought they were the bees-knees, they were. Used to get the neighbours in to admire them. Ah, those were the days, eh. Re: Home Automation 17Jun 09, 2019 6:16 pm alexp79 Good for you, Magnus, that you have extra $150K to throw out on your lights/audio/visual while building a project home from one of the cheapest builders in the country. I am planning to spend less than 1/10 of your amount on my lights/audio/visuals, but, arguably, will be still getting much more functional, robust and configurable system. Yes, may be built from "no-name china crap" components (which are generally built from the same set of components produced by the world leading IC manufacturers and use software APIs written by Google or Apple), although emerging "no-name chinese crap" brands like Xaomi can probably afford to buyout the likes of Control4 and Creston with their pocket money. And yes, today's "premium" can easily become tomorrow's "relic", we have seen happening this many many times already. Just my 2 cents. Hi Alexp - May I ask what system, products, configuration are you going for and from where are you sourcing and what you think you will be hit up for.? Re: Home Automation 18Jun 09, 2019 8:35 pm alexp79 Not exactly. There is no need for data cable as most of the modern smart lightings are Wi-Fi based those days (even Z Wave is almost completely gone). In fact, in some cases, you do not even require to install wiring for the light switches at all as tons of "wireless" proxy switches are already widely available on the market (they send radio signal to a special module which can be placed in the ceiling space near your lights, you can move this switch into any position you like as it can be attached to the wall with just a two sided sticky tape). With modern Wi-Fi mesh systems providing uninterrupted coverage even for the largest homes, cabled smart home systems become "dinosaurs" - extremely labour intensive and costly, hard to change/update/re-configure, do not support "industry standard" IFTTT smart home platforms such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa. I would only keep data cables/Cat6 for some data intensive streaming connections such as high data throughput television, but even here things are very likely to change dramatically over the next couple of years e.g. with the introduction of 5G based 28 GHz wireless networks. You can always ask the builder not to install some of the light switches/dimmers and use your own electrician to install Wi-Fi enabled smart switches post handover. >>(even Z Wave is almost completely gone). Interesting. What do you see as replacing Z-Wave? Re: Home Automation 19Jun 10, 2019 11:21 am I am looking personally considering Wi-Fi based systems (Google Home/Amazon Alexa compatible) smart light switches and outlets for my home. There many interesting brands out there right now, even Clipsal has some (but uber expensive in Australia). Re: Home Automation 20Jun 10, 2019 6:01 pm alexp79 I am looking personally considering Wi-Fi based systems (Google Home/Amazon Alexa compatible) smart light switches and outlets for my home. There many interesting brands out there right now, even Clipsal has some (but uber expensive in Australia). Having gone that route, I can recommend it...provided support is available for the things you want to control. 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